Mumbai: Desire Doue, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is set to make his World Cup debut with France in North America. Doue, who has already won several titles with PSG, including the Champions League, will look to help the two-time champions win a third FIFA World Cup title.
At 21, Doue is one of the younger players in the team, but he has already made a name for himself with his impressive performances on the field. He set up the opening goal and scored twice in the 2025 final as PSG hammered Inter Milan 5-0 to win the continental title for the first time.
Doue was instrumental again this year, scoring his spot-kick as the Paris club beat Arsenal on penalties in the final. He will swap the dark blue jersey of PSG for the blue of France as he looks to make a mark in the World Cup.
This will only be his second assignment with the senior national team, after he collected the bronze medal in the UEFA Nations Cup in June last year. Doue has already won several medals while playing for the junior French team, including the U-17 European Championships in 2022 and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He was awarded the Champions League Young Player of the Season award, ahead of Spain's Lamine Yamal, after helping PSG become only the second French club to win the Champions League.
Doue is a versatile player who tends to play more as an attacking midfielder, although he is known to be effective on the wings as well. He mixes pace with impeccable control, throwing in some tricks to display his flair as well.
It's a skillset that piqued the interest of Bayern Munich, who were keen on luring him away from Rennes. In 2024, however, he decided instead to join PSG for a €50 million transfer.
His performances throughout the season earned him the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award and the Globe Soccer Emerging Player of the Year Award. From his family, however, he won't be the only one competing at the World Cup. His older brother Guela is a key defender for Ivory Coast.
